Emergency Preparedness

BATON ROUGE, La.-- Every year, people die because of deadly exhaust
fumes from generators that seep into homes. It only takes a small opening for
enough carbon monoxide to kill or injure residents to enter a home. That's
why the Department of Health and Hospitals is cautioning residents who may
be using generators because of power outages caused by Tropical Storm
Isaac to be mindful of the dangerous health risks that may result if generators
are not used properly.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will close oyster harvest areas 1-28, which are located from Lake Borne in St.
Bernard Parish to Vermillion Bay in Vermillion Parish, effective at sunset on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012.

BATON ROUGE – Governor Bobby Jindal held a Unified Command Group meeting this morning and then a press conference where he urged Louisianians who may be in harm’s way to take precautions today by stocking up on supplies or evacuating if needed.

Louisiana continues to see a rise in human West Nile virus infections, with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals reporting 24 new cases this week. No additional deaths from West Nile have occurred, though six people this year have died after contracting the virus. DHH has detected 92 West Nile virus cases thus far for 2012, and more than half of these - 47 - are West Nile neuro-invasive disease, the more serious form of the virus that infects the brain and spinal cord and can cause brain damage or death. DHH issues a weekly Arbovirus Surveillance Report that details cases detected thus far by parish, which is published here.

The 2012 hurricane season hasn't officially begun, and there have already been two named storms. This week, Tropical Storm Bud formed in the Pacific Ocean off of the coast of southern Mexico and Tropical Storm Alberto, which has now been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, continues churning in the Atlantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast.

For the second consecutive year, Louisiana scored a perfect 100 on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) evaluation of the state's public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Louisiana and seven other states scored 100 two years in a row. Louisiana's public health laboratories also received exemplary marks. The CDC's "Public Health Preparedness: 2011 State-by-State Update on Laboratory Capabilities and Response Readiness Planning" report released today evaluates the state over a three-year period, from 2007-2010.

September is National Preparedness Month and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals urges Louisianians to take the opportunity to update their disaster plan and prepare their families, homes and businesses.